


disciplinary weapon

by orphan_account



Category: Borderlands
Genre: Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Past Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-09
Updated: 2015-09-09
Packaged: 2018-04-19 20:27:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4759883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account





	disciplinary weapon

The company didn’t change much after Handsome Jack made his dramatic reappearance. He didn’t stop the tourist attractions with his holographic face above plaques detailing whatever heroic deed they credited him with; he even encouraged it, except for the part where people wore his mask. That he stopped immediately. Something about it peeved him off, and whatever Handsome Jack didn’t approve of, he didn’t allow.

But he let the propaganda go from hero worship to god worship, in that voyeuristic obsessive-consumerist way the fans wanted his autograph or a body pillow he ordered to be made. He likes being a commodity because it means he doesn’t have to be a person. Rhys sometimes thinks he understands why Jack is, well, Handsome Jack, but the rest of the time he doesn’t even understand the way he takes his coffee.

Some days he takes it black. Some day he takes it with so much sugar Rhys is surprised he doesn’t have a heart attack. So that makes one thing Rhys understands about Handsome Jack - he’s volatile.

Before, Rhys would probably be clamoring for a Handsome Jack body pillow of his own (who is he kidding, he’d be the first in line for it), but now he sees the man himself every day. It was weird, at first, being allowed in the CEO's office whenever he wanted in or being shown off on Jack’s arm like a prize. People stop and stare a lot. Rhys still catches himself stopping and staring, because it _is_ weird, and awkward, and uncomfortable at times, but _cool._

He’s dating Handsome goddamn Jack. He’s the second most powerful head of this company. He can snap his fingers and have someone killed! Vaughn seems acutely aware of this, although Rhys got him a lofty position in the accounting department. Even though Rhys is always around Jack these days, Vaughn hasn’t gotten used to him yet, can’t look directly at Jack, like he’ll pounce if he catches Vaughn doing anything but sniveling at his feet.

Helios can be pretty in a cold metallic way, hovering like a vulture over a burning planet. There’s a section on the research floors that’s got this huge glass ceiling overhead and it always smells so nice there, not like stagnant air that’s been circulating the vents for years. Rhys is used to seeing the stars but he, Vaughn, and Yvette used to come out here to scheme and gossip and make finger guns at each other over some pizza. And the pizza here is so good. He doesn’t have to go all the way over to this section to get it anymore, just snap his fingers (literally, the pizza delivery in Jack's office is motion-activated now) and have it served to him.

But it’s nice to come here with his friends. Jack’s slipped easily into Yvette’s place, so there’s not an obvious hole in their group, but it’s still sore and tender where Yvette used to sit. Not a lot of people to gawk at Jack around here, but once they find out he's got a new hangout, they'll be swarming the place. Vaughn’s getting sort of comfortable around Handsome Jack, although he keeps telling Rhys when they're alone, “It’s so…weird. And so cool! But WEIRD. And COOL.”

Jack’s thoughts on Vaughn can be summarized as “He could suplex me without breaking a sweat” and “Rhysie, do you know how hot it would be if you two made out?”

Then sometimes the only reason Vaughn’s alive and not floating out in space is because he’s friends with Rhys.

Jack’s joking about some wide-eyed seconds-away-from-shitting-their-pants employee who bumped into them and Vaughn tries to joke along with him, “Yeah, he looked like his mom beat him with the ugly stick!”

Rhys knows the look on Jack’s face when he’s about to freak out so he picks up his tray of food before Jack stands up and flips the table over. He grabs Vaughn by the collar and gets in his face, spits out, “You think that’s funny? You think that’s real fucking funny, don’t you? You’re a real comedic guy, huh?”

“Jack- ” Rhys tries to intervene, but Jack pushes Vaughn roughly onto the ground.

“Wanna hear a joke, wise guy?” Vaughn scrambles to get up but Jack grabs him by the hair and slams his face down on the concrete. “ISN’T THAT THE FUNNIEST JOKE YOU’VE EVER HEARD, KIDDO?” Vaughn comes back up with a misshapen and bloody nose. Rhys keeps calling out “Jack, please don’t hurt him, please- ” but no one hears him over Jack’s booming voice, “ARE YOU LAUGHING YET? LAUGH! LAUGH!” He emphasizes each word by slamming Vaughn’s face against the ground. “LAUGH! LAUGH! WHY AREN’T YOU LAUGHING? DON’T YOU THINK I’M FUNNY?”

Vaughn forces out a strained laugh, nose smashed in and eyes watering. “Ha…Ha…Ha...”

Rhys likes to think he knows Handsome Jack, but there’s a flash of disgust in his eyes and he’s not even sure it’s aimed at Vaughn. Jack lets him go and Vaughn slumps to the ground, hands shaking as he tries to wipe the blood off his face. Rhys helps Vaughn up and when he looks around for Jack, he’s already gone.


End file.
